Vertically oriented docking station apparatus for a portable computer

ABSTRACT

A specially designed stand structure is used to vertically support a docking station housing, and an associated portable computer removably coupled thereto, to substantially reduce the vertical footprint of the overall docking station system. The stand structure includes a base portion having a recessed area for receiving and supporting a section of the docking station housing, and a pivotally mounted vertical holding wall structure with a transverse lower receiving platform. The vertical holding wall structure is spaced apart from and faces a vertical guide surface of the docking station housing, with the platform extending toward the guide surface. When the vertically oriented portable computer is placed on the platform the weight of the computer thereon pivots the vertical wall structure toward the guide surface, and a horizontally adjustable section of the vertical wall structure engages the facing vertical side of the computer and presses the opposite vertical side thereof against the guide surface to thereby horizontally align the computer docking connector with the mating connector on the docking station housing as the computer is pushed toward the docking station connector. The platform is spring-supported in a manner permitting vertical computer/docking station connector misalignments to be compensated for, and to relieve vertical stress on the mated computer and docking station connectors.

This is a continuation, of application Ser. No. 08/664,681, filed Jun.17, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,060.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to electronic apparatus, andmore particularly relates to docking station apparatus used to connect aportable computer to desktop computer peripheral devices such as akeyboard, monitor, printer and mouse.

2. Description of Related Art

In computer parlance a "docking station" is an interface device to whicha portable computer, such as the increasingly popular notebook computer,may be operatively and removably coupled to connect its centralprocessing unit and other internal circuitry to desktop computerperipheral devices such as a keyboard, monitor, printer and mouse. Inthis manner the portable computer may be used "on the road" by itsowner, utilizing its own keyboard, monitor and mouse, and later used ina home or office desktop work station in conjunction with the largerdesktop peripheral devices. Thus, a single computer can provide its userwith both the compactness, light weight, portability and diminutive workspace requirements of the notebook computer and the power and comfort ofa desktop system with its larger work space and peripheral devices.

A conventionally configured docking station typically comprises ahousing adapted to sit atop the desktop work space and containing theinterface electronics used to connect the "docked" portable computer tothe desktop peripheral devices operatively coupled to the dockingstation. The housing has a horizontal surface upon which the portablecomputer is rested, keyboard side up, before being horizontally movedrearwardly to removably couple a connector on the rear side of thecomputer to a corresponding docking connector on the docking stationhousing.

This horizontal orientation of the docking station is similar to that ofthe typical desktop computer in that it presents generally the samedisadvantage--namely, its vertical footprint occupies a substantialdesktop workspace area. With a desktop computer this problem may besubstantially alleviated by configuring the computer to be verticallyoriented in the now familiar "tower" configuration in which the desktopcomputer is basically tipped ninety degrees so that it is verticallyelongated and rests on what used to be one of its relatively shortvertical sides. In this vertical tower configuration the desktopcomputer may be positioned on the desktop, and occupy a substantiallylesser horizontal portion of the work area, or placed on the floor toone side of or under the desk to conveniently eliminate the computer'sdesktop space requirement.

In order to achieve a similar kind of desktop work area space savings ina docking station application it would be desirable to provide a dockingstation system that could vertically orient a portable computer dockedtherein in a manner correspondingly reducing the vertical footprint ofthe overall docking station apparatus. It is accordingly an object ofthe present invention to provide such a space-saving docking stationsystem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In carrying out principles of the present invention, in accordance witha preferred overall system embodiment thereof, space-saving computerdocking apparatus is provided that comprises a specially designed standstructure, a docking station, and a portable computer, preferably anotebook computer.

The docking station has a bottom side, an electrical connector, and aguide structure upwardly spaced apart from and generally parallel to thebottom docking station side and along which the portable computer may bemoved into docked coupling with the electrical connector.

The stand structure is configured to operatively support the dockingstation in an orientation in which its bottom side and guide structureare vertically oriented, and has a receiving portion upon which theportable computer, in a vertical orientation, may be placed; and aholding portion movable in response to placement of the verticallyoriented portable computer on the receiving portion to engage thevertically oriented portable computer and hold it against the dockingstation guide structure for horizontal movement therealong into dockedcoupling with the docking station electrical connector.

According to one feature of the invention the holding portion includes avertically oriented holding wall structure pivotally secured to a baseportion of the stand structure for pivotal movement toward and away fromthe guide structure of the vertically supported docking station betweenan outwardly pivoted receiving position and an inwardly pivotedreceiving position. The receiving portion is generally horizontallyoriented and is transversely secured to a lower portion of thevertically oriented holding wall structure for pivotal movementtherewith relative to the stand structure base portion.

When the vertically oriented portable computer is placed on thereceiving portion with the holding wall structure in its outwardlypivoted receiving position, the weight of the computer automaticallypivots the holding wall structure toward the docking station guidestructure and to the support position of the holding wall structure.This, in turn, causes the holding wall structure to engage the portablecomputer and hold it against the vertically oriented docking stationguide structure. Accordingly, the holding wall structure automaticallymaintains the computer in horizontal alignment with the docking stationelectrical connector, while the receiving portion holds the computer invertical alignment therewith, to permit the vertically oriented portablecomputer to be moved horizontally along the guide structure into dockedcoupling with the docking station electrical connector.

According to another feature of the invention, the holding wallstructure is provided with a horizontally adjustable portion thatpermits selective variation of the minimum horizontal distance betweenthe holding wall structure and the vertically oriented guide structure,whereby vertically oriented portable computers of varying horizontalwidths may be accommodated by the stand structure.

In a preferred embodiment of this horizontal width adjustment featurethe holding wall structure includes a vertically oriented hollow bodyportion with an inner side that faces the guide structure, ishorizontally spaced apart therefrom, and has an opening therein. Theadjustable portion is an adjustment member supported within the bodyportion interior for movement therein to various releasably lockablepositions in which a curved side surface portion of the adjustmentmember projects outwardly through the opening a selectively variabledistance outwardly beyond the inner side of the body portion.

According to a further feature of the invention, the receiving portionhas a vertically movable top side platform portion upon which thevertically oriented portable computer may be placed. The platform isinterconnected to the stand structure base portion by springs thatresiliently bias the holding wall structure to its outwardly pivotedreceiving position, and resiliently bias the platform portion toward anupper limit position thereof. This spring-supported platform portionserves to permit a vertical deflection thereof to compensate for smallvertical misalignments between the vertically oriented portable computerand the docking station electrical connector.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front end perspective view of a specially designed dockingstation stand embodying principles of the present invention andoperative to support a portable computer docking station in a verticalorientation;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged scale front end elevational view of the stand,with a vertical computer holding wall portion of the stand in anoutwardly pivoted receiving position thereof;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to that in FIG. 2, but with the verticalholding wall portion of the stand in an inwardly pivoted supportposition thereof;

FIG. 4 is a front end perspective view of the stand operativelysupporting a representative docking station in a vertical orientation,with the vertical holding wall portion of the stand being in itsinwardly pivoted support position;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged scale front end elevational view of the standvertically supporting the docking station, with the vertical holdingwall portion of the stand being in its outwardly pivoted receivingposition;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to that in FIG. 5, but with a representativeportable computer being operatively supported in the stand, with thevertical stand holding wall being pivoted inwardly against the verticaltop side of the computer, and the computer being operatively coupled tothe vertically oriented docking station;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged scale, partially cut away front side elevationalview of a vertical length of the pivotable holding wall illustrating ahorizontal adjustment wall section thereof in a retracted orientationthereof;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to that in FIG. 7, but with the horizontaladjustment wall section in an extended orientation thereof;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of the horizontal adjustment wallsection removed from the vertical holding wall portion of the stand;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of a biasing spring structureremoved from the vertical holding wall portion of the stand; and

FIG. 11 is an enlarged inner side edge elevational view of a speciallydesigned, spring-biased support platform portion of the stand, with arepresentative portable computer operatively supported thereon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring initially to FIG. 6, the present invention provides aspecially designed docking station system 10 that basically comprisesthree components--a docking station 12 operative to create an interfaceconnection through which a portable computer may be operatively coupledto desktop peripheral devices (not shown) such as a keyboard, monitor,printer and mouse; a stand structure 14 positionable on a horizontalsupport surface 16 such as a desktop or floor and operative to supportthe docking station 12 in a vertical orientation; and a portablecomputer 18, representatively a notebook computer, supportablevertically between portions of the docking station 12 and the stand 14,as later described, and removably connectable to the docking station 12in a manner coupling the computer to the docking station's associatedperipheral devices.

The docking station 12, as best illustrated in FIGS. 4-6, includes ahousing 20 within which the computer/peripheral device couplingelectronics are disposed. Housing 20 has a rectangular base portion witha bottom side 22 adapted to rest on a horizontal support surface whenthe docking station is in its normal horizontal orientation, a top sideguide structure generally denoted by the reference numeral 24, a frontside 26, a rear side 28, opposite left and right sides 30 and 32, and anupstanding rectangular rear portion 34.

Rear housing portion 34 has a front side wall 36 upon which a connector38 (see FIG. 5) and an associated pair of outwardly projecting guidepins 40 are mounted. Connector 38 is operatively connected to theinternal interface electronics (not shown) disposed within the housing20. The top side guide structure 24 of the docking station 12 has aspaced pair of upstanding guide ribs 42 on opposite sides thereof, and aspaced pair of smaller upstanding support ribs 44 positioned between theribs 42.

Turning now to FIG. 6, the notebook computer 18 is shown in simplifiedform in its closed orientation and has a top side 46, a bottom side 48,a front side 50, and left and right sides 52 and 54. On the back side ofthe notebook computer 18, and shown in phantom in FIG. 6, is a connector38a, and an associated pair of guide pin receiving holes 40a thatrespectively mate with their associated connector 38 and guide pins 40(see FIG. 5) when the computer 18 is operatively "docked" to the dockingstation 12.

With the docking station 12 removed from its supporting stand 14 and inits horizontal orientation (i.e., with the bottom side 22 of the dockingstation housing 20 resting, for example, on the horizontal supportsurface 16, the computer 18 is docked by placing its bottom side 48against the upstanding guide structure ribs 44, with the computer side52 slidingly engaging and being vertically aligned with the front sidesurface 36 by the lower side rib 42. The computer 18 is then movedrearwardly to removably mate the connectors 38,38a.

As previously mentioned, the stand structure 14 supports the dockingstation 12 and the notebook computer 18 in their FIG. 6 verticalorientations relative to the horizontal support surface 16 and, in amanner subsequently described herein, facilitates the operative dockingof the computer 18 in its vertical orientation. With reference now toFIGS. 1-6, the stand structure 14 includes a base portion 56 having abottom side 58, left and right upstanding side portions 60 and 62, andopposite front and rear ends 64 and 66. The top side of the standstructure base portion 56 has a generally L-shaped recess 68 formedtherein and configured to complementarily receive a left side portion ofthe vertically oriented docking station housing 20 (see FIGS. 4-6).

The stand structure 14 also includes a vertical holding wall structure70 operative in a manner subsequently described to engage the computer18 and hold its vertically oriented bottom side 48 slidably against theguide ribs 44 of the guide structure 24 to facilitate the alignment ofthe docking station and computer connectors 38,38a during horizontaldocking of the vertically oriented computer 18.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-8, the vertical holding wall structure 70includes a hollow, vertically oriented outer wall portion 72 having, asviewed in these drawing figures, a left or outer side 74, a right orinner side 76 having an opening 78 therein, and a curved bottom side 80.Depending from the bottom side of the hollow outer wall portion 70 are apair of generally triangularly shaped support portions 82 (see FIGS. 2and 11) spaced apart in a front-to-rear direction relative to the stand14. At the bottom apex end of each of the support portions 82 is anoutwardly projecting cylindrical mounting projection 84.

The bottom end of the outer wall portion 72 is positioned atop a leftfront end portion of the stand structure base portion 56, with thetriangular support portions 82 extending down into the interior of thebase portion 56. Cylindrical mounting projections 84 are slidablyreceived and supported in the arcuate bottom end portions (see FIG. 2)of generally J-shaped cradle sections 86 formed in the interior of thestand structure base portion 56. This supports the outer wall portion 72on the stand base portion 56 for pivotal movement relative thereto,about a horizontal front-to-rear extending axis, between an outwardlypivoted receiving position (see FIGS. 2 and 5) and an inwardly pivotedsupport position (see FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 6). As illustrated in FIG. 2,upwardly projecting portions 86a of the cradle sections 86 act as stopsurfaces for sides 82a of the triangular support portions 82 to limitthe outward pivoting of the outer wall portion 72 relative to the standstructure base portion 56.

Turning now to FIGS. 1 and 7-9, the vertical holding wall structure 70also includes an adjustment member 88 movably supported within theinterior of the outer wall portion 72. The adjustment member 88 has agenerally flat upper portion 90 with inner and outer sides 92 and 94, acurved upper end 96, and a laterally enlarged lower portion with anoutwardly curved outer, side surface 98. A cutout area 100 is formed inthe member 88 and is used to facilitate the adjustment of the member 88relative to the outer wall portion 72 in a manner subsequently describedherein, and a position indicating line 102 is suitably formed on thefront side of the member 88 for purposes later described herein. At thelower end of the adjustment member 88 are a spaced pair of mounting pinprojections 104.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, the adjusting member 88 isreceived within the interior of the hollow outer wall portion 72, withthe curved outer side surface 98 of the member 88 being verticallyaligned with the outer wall portion opening 78, the curved upper end 96of the member 88 slidingly engaging a rightwardly convex arcuate surface106 formed along a left interior side portion of the outer wall portion72, and each of the mounting pin projections 104 being received in oneof the arcuate depressions 108 in opposed series thereof disposed infront and rear interior side portions of the outer wall portion 72 andstairstepped in a downwardly and rightly sloped orientation as viewed inFIGS. 7 and 8.

Referring now to FIGS. 7, 8 and 10, the adjustment member 88 isresiliently biased in a clockwise direction (as indicated by the arrow110 in FIGS. 7 and 8) by a spring structure 112 having an elongatedrectangular body portion 114 from which three spaced apart leaf springportions 116 transversely project. The spring body portion 114 issuitably secured within an upper interior end section of the outer wallportion 72, with the leaf spring portions 116 resiliently bearingagainst the outer side 94 of the upper portion. 90 of the adjustmentmember 88, thereby maintaining on the adjustment member 88 the resilientclockwise pivotal biasing force indicated by the arrow 110 in FIGS. 7and 8.

With the mounting pin projections 104 in upper ones of the arcuatedepressions 108 (see FIG. 7), the curved side surface 98 of theadjustment member 88 projects outwardly through the opening 78 in theinner side 76 of the outer wall portion 72 a horizontal distance X₁.However, by grasping the enlarged lower portion of the adjustment member88, pivoting it in a counterclockwise direction to free its pin portions104 from their receiving depressions 108 shown in FIG. 7, and thenlowering the adjustment member 88 and placing its pins 104 in a lowerpair of arcuate depressions 108 (as shown in FIG. 8), the horizontalprojection distance X₁ of the curved adjustment member surface 98rightwardly beyond the wall portion surface 76 may be increased to X₂for purposes later described.

The clockwise biasing force 110 of the spring structure 112 on theadjusting member 88 serves to resiliently retain the pins 104 in theirnew set of arcuate depressions 108 until a subsequent repositioning ofthe adjustment member 88 is desired. A visual indication of the selectedoutward projection distance X of the curved adjustment member surface 98is conveniently provided by the alignment of the position indicatingline 102 (see FIGS. 7 and 8) on the adjustment member 88 with one of aseries of horizontal projection distance indicating lines 118 (seeFIG. 1) suitably formed on the inner side 76 of the outer wall portion72.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 11, the vertical holding wall structure 70further includes a transverse lower end portion 120 that projects from abottom end section of the outer wall portion 72 toward the right side 62of the stand structure base portion 56. A rectangular receiving platform122, atop which the vertically oriented portable computer 18 may beplaced, is elongated in a front-to-rear direction relative to the standstructure base portion 56, is positioned atop the transverse lower endportion 120, and overlies a horizontally oriented rib portion 124thereof.

Rib portion 124 has, from left to right as viewed in FIG. 11, verticallyextending openings 126,128 and 130 formed therein. Formed on theunderside of the platform 122, also from left to right as viewed in FIG.11, are projections 132,134 and 136 that are respectively aligned withthe rib openings 126,128 and 130. Projection 132 extends downwardlythrough the rib opening 126 and has a horizontal catch portion 132 thatunderlies a facing bottom side surface portion of the rib 124 and limitsthe upward travel of a front end portion of the platform 122 relative tothe rib 124.

Projection 134 has a cylindrical configuration and is received in anupper end portion of a coiled, preloaded compression spring 140 thatextends downwardly through the rib opening 128 and has a lower endportion thereof captively retained in an underlying tubular boss portion142 of the stand structure base portion 56.

Projection 136 has a cylindrical configuration, extends downwardlythrough the rib opening 130, and has a diametrically enlarged washer 144secured to its lower end by a screw 146. Washer 144 prevents theprojection 136 from being pulled upwardly through the rib opening 130. Apreloaded coiled compression spring 148 circumscribed the portion of theprojection 136 disposed above the rib 124 and bears at its opposite endsagainst the underside of a right end portion of the platform 122 and atop side surface portion of the rib 124.

The springs 140,148 resiliently bias the platform 122 toward its dottedline position in FIG. 11, at which point the projection catch portion138 and the washer 144 upwardly bear against their associated undersideportions of the rib 124. Spring 140 also acts to resiliently andpivotally bias the vertical outer wall portion toward its outwardlypivoted receiving position shown in FIGS. 2 and 5.

Using the specially designed stand structure 14 of the presentinvention, the notebook computer 18 is operatively coupled in a verticalorientation to the docking station 12 in the following representativemanner. First, a left side portion of the docking station housing 20 isinserted into the complementarily configured top side recess 68 in thebase portion 56 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, thereby orienting the dockingstation 12 in a position in which its bottom side 22 extends verticallyand its now vertically oriented top side guide portion 24 faces theinner side 76 of the outer wall portion 72 of the vertical holding wallstructure 70.

Next, as illustrated in FIG. 7 or 8, the curved side surface 98 of theadjustment member 88 is moved outwardly through the wall opening 78 aselected horizontal distance X corresponding to the desired horizontaldistance D (see FIG. 6) between the adjusted surface 98 and the supportribs 44 when the outer wall portion 72 is in its FIG. 6 inwardly pivotedsupport position, the selected distance D being essentially equal to thethickness T of the vertically oriented notebook computer 18. A visualindicia of the selected distance D is conveniently provided by theparticular one of the horizontal projection indicating lines 118 (seeFIG. 1) with which the adjustment member position indicating line 102(see FIGS. 7 and 8) is aligned. If desired, these first two steps may bereversed--i.e., the docking station 12 may be vertically supported inthe stand structure 14 after the horizontal adjustment of the adjustmentmember portion 88 of the vertical holding wall structure 70.

Next, with the vertical holding wall structure 72 in its outwardlyspring-biased receiving position shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the verticallyoriented notebook computer 18 is moved, either horizontally orvertically, into the gap between the outer wall portion 72 and thedocking station guide portion 24 and placed atop the platform 122 asshown in FIGS. 6 and 11. The weight of the notebook computer 18 exertedon the platform 122 does two things--(1) it downwardly deflects theplatform 122 from its initial leftwardly and upwardly sloped dotted lineposition (as viewed in FIG. 11) to its solid line position in FIG. 11against the resilient vertical forces of the springs 140 and 148, and(2) it automatically pivots the vertical holding wall structure 70inwardly from its receiving position to its FIG. 6 support position asindicated by the arrow 150 in FIG. 6

The resilient partial downward deflection of the platform 122 by theweight of the vertically oriented notebook computer 18 thereon bringsthe computer connector 38a (see FIG. 6) into general vertical alignmentwith the corresponding docking station connector 38 (see FIG. 5) behindthe computer connector 38a. Additionally, during the inward pivoting ofthe outer wall portion 72 of the vertical holding wall structure 70 theoutwardly projecting curved adjustment member surface 98 engages theleft vertical side of the notebook computer 18 (as viewed in FIG. 6) ina manner exerting, when the outer wall portion 72 reaches its FIG. 6position, a rightward force on the computer and holding its verticalright side slidably against the docking station ribs 44 to therebyhorizontally aligning the computer connector 38a with the correspondingdocking station connector 38 behind it.

Finally, the vertically oriented notebook computer 18 is docked bymoving it rearwardly toward the rear docking station housing portion 34until the computer connector 38a is releasably mated with the dockingstation connector 38. As can be seen in FIG. 11, the weight of thecomputer 18 resting on the platform 122 only partially deflects a leftor front portion of the platform downwardly toward the rib 124--thereare still small vertical gaps between the front and rear ends of theplatform 122 and underlying top side surface portions of the rib 124.

At the rear end of the platform 122 the gap 152 permits furtherresilient downward deflection of a rear end portion of the platform 122if, for example, the computer connector 38a is slightly upwardlymisaligned with the docking station connector 38 in which case thespring 148 permits a downward resilient deflection of a correspondingrear end portion of the computer 18 to bring about a precise verticalalignment of the connectors 38,38a as they are being mated during thedocking procedure.

Representatively, and based on the assumption that the notebook computer18 weighs approximately eight pounds, the springs 140 and 148 are sizedin a manner such that with the computer 18 removed from the platform 122the spring 140 has a compressive preload force thereon of approximately3.5 pounds, and the spring 148 has a compressive preload force thereonof approximately four pounds.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, arcuate cutout areas 154 and 156 arerespectively formed in the stand structure base portion 56 beneath afront end portion of the top side recess 68, and in a top side portionof the transverse lower end portion 120 of the holding wall structure 70immediately behind the rear end of the platform 122. Cutout area 154forms beneath the vertically supported docking station a flow dischargeopening for a speaker portion of the docking station (not visible in thedrawings), and cutout area 156 forms an air flow discharge opening for acooling fan portion of the vertically supported docking station (alsonot visible in the drawings).

In summary, as can readily be seen from the foregoing, the speciallydesigned stand structure 14 of the present invention both verticallysupports the docking station 12 and serves to horizontally andvertically align the docking station and computer connectors 38,38ausing the resiliently supported platform 122 and the horizontalwidth-adjustable vertical holding wall structure 70. Due to itsconfiguration and relationship with the docking station that itvertically supports, the stand structure 14 permits the portablecomputer 18 to be either vertically or horizontally inserted into thegap between the docking station guide portion 24 and the pivotallymounted outer wall portion 72. Moreover, the horizontal adjustmentcapability of the adjustment member 88, coupled with the automaticpivoting of the vertical portion of the wall structure 70 intoengagement with the computer in response to placement of the computer 18on the receiving platform 122, assures that vertically oriented notebookcomputers of varying horizontal widths will be slidingly held againstthe docking station guide portion 24 to create and preserve horizontalalignment between the computer and docking connector portions duringhorizontally rearward docking movement of the computer.

The foregoing detailed description is to be clearly understood as beinggiven by way of illustration and example only, the spirit and scope ofthe present invention being limited solely by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer docking station stand comprising:afirst portion operative to support a portable computer docking station;a second portion upon which a portable computer may be placed; and athird portion operative to engage the portable computer, and hold theportable computer against a predetermined portion of the supportedportable computer docking station, in response to the placement of theportable computer on said second portion of said stand.
 2. The computerdocking station stand of claim 1 wherein:said first portion is operativeto support the portable computer docking station in a verticalorientation.
 3. The computer docking station stand of claim 2wherein:said computer docking station stand has a base portion, and saidfirst portion includes a recess formed in said base portion andconfigured to complementarily receive a portion of the docking station.4. The computer docking station stand of claim 3 wherein:one of saidsecond and third portions is pivotally secured to said base portion, andthe other of said second and third portions is anchored to said one ofsaid second and third portions for pivotal movement therewith relativeto said base portion.
 5. A method of docking a portable computer havinga first docking connector, said method comprising the steps of:providinga docking station with a second docking connector and a guide structure;providing a stand structure; supporting said docking station on saidstand structure; placing the portable computer on said stand structure;causing the portable computer to be horizontally forced into engagementwith said guide structure in response to placement of the portablecomputer on said stand structure; and mating the first and seconddocking connectors by moving the portable computer along said guidestructure.
 6. The method of claim 5 wherein said mating step isperformed by horizontally moving the portable computer along said guidestructure.
 7. The method of claim 5 wherein said causing step includesthe step of causing a portion of said stand structure to pivot inresponse to said step of placing the portable computer on said standstructure.
 8. The method of claim 7 wherein said step of causing aportion of said stand structure to pivot is effected using the weight ofthe portable computer to pivot said portion of said stand structure. 9.The method of claim 7 wherein said step of causing a portion of saidstand structure to pivot is performed in a manner to cause said portionof said stand structure to pivot about a horizontal axis.